Working in a Gun Shop - Lessons Learned

I've been working in a gun shop since December 2008. I've learned a few things (it is good to learn something every day). I'm going to try and keep a list...

- There are lots of people just as obsessed as I am about guns, even more so. They buy more guns than I ever did and they are in the shop more than I am.

- Lots of "customers" are there for companionship and trade guns only to have something to do.

- There are gun "groupies".

- There are men who shop for guns WITH their wives! I found that astonishing. There are women who DON'T shop for guns with anyone, even their husbands. Not quite so astonishing.

- Men who buy guns for self defense want to "stop" the bad guys. Women who buy guns for self defense want to "hurt" the bad guys.

- Most of the guns I've sold have gone to "white" people. About 1/4 of those go to women. This doesn't mean that other races don't own guns or that women of other races don't buy guns.

- Lots of my friends buy guns. I see them in the store all the time!

- Lots of people know me, at least they know my face.

- A gun shop is busy all day long.

- Many, many people have no idea what gun and/or cartridge their gun uses.

- There are quite a few immigrants who exercise their gun rights here just as soon as they can.

- Many gun owners don't understand gun law as it exists or as it is proposed.

- Young shooters like the polymers and synthetics much more than the older shooters.

- People can't follow simply assembly and disassembly instructions (we put a lot of guns back together or repair them due to improper assembly or disassembly).